was the third ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

'' of the

Ashikaga shogunate The , also known as the , was the feudal military government of Japan during the Muromachi period from 1336 to 1573.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Muromachi-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 669. The Ashikaga shogunate was establ ...

, ruling from 1368 to 1394 during the

Muromachi period The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Yoshimitsu was

Ashikaga Yoshiakira was the second ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1358 to 1367 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshiakira was the son of the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Muromachi shogunate, Ashikaga Takauji. His mother was ...

's third son but the oldest son to survive, his childhood name being Haruō (). Yoshimitsu was appointed ''shōgun'', a hereditary title as head of the military estate, in 1368 at the age of ten; at twenty he was admitted to the imperial court as Acting Grand Counselor (''Gon Dainagon'' ). In 1379, Yoshimitsu reorganized the institutional framework of the Gozan Zen establishment before, two years later, becoming the first person of the

warrior A warrior is a person specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracies, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have been p ...

(samurai) class to host a reigning emperor at his private residence. In 1392, he negotiated the end of the Nanboku-chō imperial schism that had plagued politics for over half a century. Two years later he became Grand Chancellor of State ('' Dajō daijin'' ), the highest-ranking member of the imperial court. Retiring from that and all public offices in 1395, Yoshimitsu took the tonsure and moved into his Kitayama-dono () retirement villa which, among other things, boasted a pavilion two-thirds covered in gold leaf (''Kinkaku shariden'' ). There, he received envoys from the

Ming The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

and

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

courts on at least six occasions and forged the terms of a Sino-Japanese trade agreement that endured for over a century. In recognition for his diplomatic efforts (and overt displays of subservience), the Chinese sovereign pronounced Yoshimitsu "King of Japan" (''Nihon kokuō'' ). In 1407, he set into motion a plan to become "Dajō tenno" (), a title customarily applied to a retired emperor. Although unrealized due to his sudden death the following year, this last venture was particularly audacious because Yoshimitsu never actually sat on the Japanese throne. Late in his career, it appears Yoshimitsu sought to legitimize his transcendent authority through the idiom of Buddhist kingship, deploying ritual, symbols, and monumentalism to cast him as a universal monarch or dharma king, not unlike his counterparts in Southeast Asia. His posthumous name was Rokuon'in ().

Timeline

Significant events shape the period during which Yoshimitsu was ''shōgun'': * 1368 – Yoshimitsu appointed ''shōgun''; Chōkei ascends southern throne.Ackroyd, Joyce. (1982) ''Lessons from History: The "Tokushi Yoron",'' p. 329. * 1369 –

Kusunoki Masanori was a samurai who fought for the Southern Court in Japan's Nanboku-chō Wars, and is famed for his skills as a leader and military strategist, though he later sought a diplomatic solution and was regarded a traitor by many of his comrades. He was ...

defects to Ashikaga. * 1370 –

Imagawa Sadayo , also known as , was a renowned Japanese poet and military commander who served as tandai ("constable") of Kyūshū under the Ashikaga bakufu from 1371 to 1395. His father, Imagawa Norikuni, had been a supporter of the first Ashikaga ''shōgu ...

sent to subdue Kyushu. * 1371 – Attempts to arrange truce. * 1373–1406 – Embassies between China and Japan. * 1374 – En'yū ascends northern throne. * 1378 – Yoshimitsu builds the

Muromachi palace The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by t ...

in Kyoto's elite district of Kamigyo, on the site of the former residence of the nobleman Saionji Sanekane.Stavros, Matthew. (2009) "Locational Pedigree and Warrior Status in Medieval Kyoto: The Residences of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu", in ''Japanese Studies'' (vol. 29, no. 1, May) p. 8. * 1379 –

Shiba Yoshimasa was a Japanese samurai lord and daimyo during the Muromachi period. Biography Yoshimasa was the son of Shiba Takatsune. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Shiba Yoshimasa"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 850. During the Ashikaga shogunate, Yoshi ...

becomes ''

Kanrei or, more rarely, ''kanryō'', was a high political post in feudal Japan; it is usually translated as ''shōguns deputy''. After 1349, there were actually two ''Kanrei'', the ''Kyoto Kanrei'' and the ''Kantō Kanrei''. Originally, from 1219 until ...

''. * 1380 –

rejoins Kameyama; southern army suffers reverses. * 1382 – Go-Komatsu ascends northern throne; resurgence of southern army. * 1383 – Yoshimitsu's honors; Go-Kameyama ascends southern throne. * 1385 – Southern army defeated at

Koga KOGA is a Dutch bicycle manufacturer based in Heerenveen, Friesland. The company is known for its long time partnership with Japanese frame manufacturer Miyata, producing bicycles and sponsoring racing teams under the brand name Koga Miyata. As ...

. * 1387–1389 – Dissension in Toki family in

Mino Mino may refer to: Places in Japan * Mino, Gifu, a city in Gifu Prefecture * Mino, Kagawa, a former town in Kagawa Prefecture * Mino, Tokushima, a town in Tokushima Prefecture * Mino, an alternate spelling of Minoh, a city in Osaka Prefecture * Mi ...

. * 1389 – Yoshimitsu pacifies Kyūshū and distributes lands; Yoshimitsu opposed by Kamakura ''kanrei''

Ashikaga Ujimitsu (1359–1398) was a Nanboku-chō period warrior and the Kamakura-fu's second ''Kantō kubō'', or ''Shōgun'' Deputy. Son of first ''Kantō Kubō'' Ashikaga Motouji, he succeeded his father in 1367 at the age of nine when this last suddenly died ...

. * 1390 – Kusunoki defeated; Yamana Ujikiyo chastises Tokinaga. * 1391 – Yamana Ujikyo attacks Kyoto – Meitoku War.Ackroyd, p. 330. * 1392 – Northern and Southern courts reconciled under

Go-Komatsu was the list of emperors of Japan, 100th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')後小松天皇 (100) retrieved 2013-8-28. and the sixth and final Northern Court, Emperor of th ...

. * 1394 – Yoshimitsu officially cedes his position to his son;

Ashikaga Yoshimochi was the fourth ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1394 to 1423 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshimochi was the son of the third ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Succession and rule In 1394, ...

appointed ''shōgun''. * 1396 – Imagawa Sadayo dismissed. * 1397 – Uprising in Kyūshū suppressed. * 1398 – Muromachi administration organized. * 1399 –

Ōuchi Yoshihiro , also known as Ouchi ''Sakyo-no-Tayu,'' was a Muromachi period samurai clan head and military leader. Yoshirio was the second son of Ōuchi Hiroyo, and a member of the Ōuchi clan which served under Ashikaga Takauji. The Ōuchi became known a ...

and

Ashikaga Mitsukane (1378–1409) was a Nanboku-chō period warrior, and the Kamakura-fu's third Kantō kubō, (''Shōgun'' Deputy). Being the eldest son, he succeeded his father Ujimitsu in 1398 at the age of 21 when he died during an epidemic. Like his father, ...

rebel – Ōei War. * 1402 – Uprising in Mutsu suppressed. * 1404 – Yoshimitsu is recognized as ''Nippon Koku-Ō'' (King of Japan) by

Yongle Emperor The Yongle Emperor (; pronounced ; 2 May 1360 – 12 August 1424), personal name Zhu Di (), was the third Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1402 to 1424. Zhu Di was the fourth son of the Hongwu Emperor, the founder of the Ming dyn ...

. * 1408 – Yoshimitsu dies.

Muromachi

Yoshimitsu constructed his residential headquarters along Muromachi Road in the northern part of

Kyoto Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...

in 1378. As a result, in Japanese, the

and the corresponding time period are often referred to as the

Muromachi shogunate The , also known as the , was the feudal military government of Japan during the Muromachi period from 1336 to 1573.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Muromachi-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 669. The Ashikaga shogunate was establis ...

and Muromachi period. Yoshimitsu resolved the rift between the

Northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ra ...

and

Southern Court The were a set of four emperors (Emperor Go-Daigo and his line) whose claims to sovereignty during the Nanboku-chō period spanning from 1336 through 1392 were usurped by the Northern Court. This period ended with the Southern Court definitively ...

s in 1392, when he persuaded Go-Kameyama of the Southern Court to hand over the

Imperial Regalia The Imperial Regalia, also called Imperial Insignia (in German ''Reichskleinodien'', ''Reichsinsignien'' or ''Reichsschatz''), are regalia of the Holy Roman Emperor. The most important parts are the Crown, the Imperial orb, the Imperial sce ...

Emperor Go-Komatsu was the 100th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')後小松天皇 (100) retrieved 2013-8-28. and the sixth and final Emperor of the Northern Court. He is officially cons ...

of the Northern Court. Yoshimitsu's greatest political achievement was that he managed to bring about the end to '' Nanboku-chō'' fighting. This event had the effect of firmly establishing the authority of the Muromachi shogunate and suppressing the power of the regional age ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...

s'' who might challenge that central authority. Concordant with increased communication between the Muromachi Shogunate and the Ming Dynasty in modern day China, during this period Japan received a significant influx of Ming influence to its economic system, architecture, philosophy and religion, and writing. Although Yoshimitsu retired in 1394 and his son was confirmed as the fourth ''shōgun''

, the old ''shōgun'' did not abandon any of his powers. Yoshimitsu continued to maintain authority over the shogunate until his death.Titsingh, Yoshimitsu also played a major role in the genesis of

Noh is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ' ...

theatre, as the patron and lover of

Zeami Motokiyo (c. 1363 – c. 1443), also called , was a Japanese aesthetician, actor, and playwright. His father, Kan'ami Kiyotsugu, introduced him to Noh theater performance at a young age, and found that he was a skilled actor. Kan'ami was also skill ...

, the actor considered to be Noh's founder, whom Yoshimitsu encouraged to give a loftier treatment to his art. Yoshimitsu died suddenly in 1408 at age 50. After his death, his retirement villa (near Kyoto) became

Rokuon-ji , officially named , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. It is one of the most popular buildings in Kyoto, attracting many visitors annually.Bornoff, Nicholas (2000). ''The National Geographic Traveler: Japan''. National Geographic Socie ...

, which today is famous for its three-storied, gold-leaf covered reliquary known as "Kinkaku". So famous is this single structure, in fact, that the entire temple itself is often identified as the

Kinkaku-ji , officially named , is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. It is one of the most popular buildings in Kyoto, attracting many visitors annually.Bornoff, Nicholas (2000). ''The National Geographic Traveler: Japan''. National Geographic Socie ...

, the Temple of the Golden Pavilion. A statue of Yoshimitsu is found there today.

Family

* Father: Ashikaga Yoshiakira * Mother: Ki no Yoshiko (1336–1413) * Wife: Hino Nariko (1351–1405) * Concubines: ** Ichijo no Tsubone ** Hino Yasuko (1369–1419) ** Fujiwara no Yoshiko (1358–1399) ** Kaga no Tsubone (d. 1422) ** Kasuga no Tsubone ** Nefu'in (1370–1421) ** Fujiwara no Kyoko (1369–1406) ** Fujiwara no Tomoko (d. 1426) ** Keijun'in ** Takahashi-dono (d. 1429) ** Ikegami-dono (d. 1426) * Children: ** a daughter by Nariko **

by Yoshiko **

Ashikaga Yoshinori was the sixth ''shōgun'' of the Ashikaga shogunate who reigned from 1429 to 1441 during the Muromachi period of Japan. Yoshinori was the son of the third ''shōgun'' Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). His childhood name was Harutor ...

by Yoshiko ** Ashikaga Yoshitsugu (1394–1418) by Kasuga ** Daijiin Seishou (1395–1433) by Nefu'in ** Gisho (1406–1467) by Tomoko ** Irie Juzen (1397–1415) by Yoshiko ** Sonman by Kaga ** Hodo (1385–1387) by Kaga ** a boy (1394–1436) by Kyoko ** Daijin'in Sei (1396–1453) by Kyoko ** a daughter married Rokkaku Mitsutsuna ** Kaji Yoshiaki (1406–1467) by Tomoko ** Koshoin by Keijun'in ** a daughter by Ikegami ** Kozan Eiryu (1403–1442) by Ikegami

Eras of Yoshimitsu's ''bakufu''

The years in which Yoshimitsu was ''shōgun'' are more specifically identified by more than one

era name A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin ''regnum'' meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year o ...

or ''

nengō The , also known as , is the first of the two elements that identify years in the Japanese era calendar scheme. The second element is a number which indicates the year number within the era (with the first year being ""), followed by the literal ...

''.Titsingh, ''Nanboku-chō'' southern court *Eras as reckoned by legitimate Court (as determined by Meiji rescript): ** ''

Shōhei was a Japanese era (年號, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kōkoku and before Kentoku. This period spanned the years from December 1346 to July 1370. The Southern Court ...

'' (1346–1370) ** ''

Kentoku Kentoku (建徳) was a Japanese era of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Shōhei and before Bunchū, lasting from July 1370 to April 1372.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kentoku''" i ''Japan encyclope ...

'' (1370–1372) ** '' Bunchū'' (1372–1375) ** ''

Tenju Tenju (天授) was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Bunchū and before Kōwa. This period spanned the years from May 1375 to February 1381. The So ...

'' (1375–1381) ** '' Kōwa'' (1381–1384) ** ''

Genchū Genchū (元中) was a Japanese era of the Southern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts lasting from April 1384 to October 1392.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Genchū''" i ''Japan encyclopedia,'' p. 236 n.b., Louis-Fréd� ...

'' (1384–1393) ''Nanboku-chō'' northern court *Eras as reckoned by pretender Court (as determined by Meiji rescript): ** ''

Ōan , also romanized as Ō-an, was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after ''Jōji'' and before ''Eiwa.'' This period spanned the years from February 1368 th ...

'' (1368–1375) ** ''

Eiwa was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Ōan and before Kōryaku. This period spanned the years from February 1375 through March 1379. The emperor ...

'' (1375–1379) ** ''

Kōryaku was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Eiwa and before Eitoku. This period spanned the years from March 1379 through February 1381. The emperor in Ky ...

'' (1379–1381) ** ''

Eitoku was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kōryaku and before Shitoku. This period spanned the years from February 1381 to February 1384. The empero ...

'' (1381–1384) ** ''

Shitoku Shitoku (至徳) was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Eitoku and before Kakei. This period spanned the years from February 1384 to August 1387. Th ...

'' (1384–1387) ** ''

Kakei Kakei (嘉慶) was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Shitoku and before Kōō. This period spanned the years from August 1387 to February 1389. The ...

'' (1387–1389) ** ''

Kōō , also romanized as Kō-ō, was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Kakei and before Meitoku. This period spanned the years from February 1389 to Marc ...

'' (1389–1390) ** ''

Meitoku Meitoku (明徳) was a Japanese era name (年号 ''nengō'', "year name") of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after '' Kōō'' and before ''Ōei''. This period spanned the years from March 1390 to July 1394. After ...

'' (1390–1393)‡ ''Post-Nanboku-chō'' reunified court *Eras merged as ''Meitoku'' 3 replaced ''Genchū'' 9 as Go-Kameyama abdicated. ** ''

'' (1393–1394)‡ ** ''

Ōei was a after ''Meitoku'' and before ''Shōchō''. This period spanned the years from July 1394 through April 1428. Reigning emperors were and . Change of era * 1394 : The new era name was created because of plague. The previous era ended and a ...

'' (1394–1428)

Notes

References

* Ackroyd, Joyce I. (1982) ''Lessons from History: the Tokushi Yoron''. Brisbane: University of Queensland Press.
OCLC 7574544
* Morton, W. Scott and J. Kenneth Olenik. (1973). ''Japan: Its History and Culture''. Newton Abbot, Devon: David & Charles.
OCLC 462186835
* Pier, Garrett Chatfield. (1914)
''Temple Treasures of Japan''.
New York: Frederick Fairchild Sherman
OCLC 535337
* Stavros, Matthew, and Norika Kurioka. "Imperial Progress to the Muromachi Palace, 1381 A Study and Annotated Translation of Sakayuku Hana". ''Japan Review'' 28 (2015): 3–46. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43684115 * Stavros, Matthew (December 2017). "Monuments and Mandalas in Medieval Kyoto: Reading Buddhist Kingship in the Urban Plan of Ashikaga Yoshimitsu". ''Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies''. 77: 321–361 * Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''

Nihon Ōdai Ichiran , ', is a 17th-century chronicle of the serial reigns of Japanese emperors with brief notes about some of the noteworthy events or other happenings. According to the 1871 edition of the ''American Cyclopaedia'', the 1834 French translation of ...

''; ou
''Annales des empereurs du Japon''.
Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland
OCLC 585069
*

Turnbull Turnbull may refer to: People *See Turnbull (surname) *Malcolm Turnbull, former Prime Minister of Australia Places *Turnbull High School in Bishopbriggs, Scotland *Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, located near Spokane, Washington, USA *Turnbull ...

, Stephen. (2005). ''Samurai Commanders''. Oxford: Osprey Press. ;
OCLC 60834971
* Worden, Robert L. (1994)

''A Country Study: Japan''. Washington, D.C.:

Federal Research Division The Federal Research Division (FRD) is the research and analysis unit of the United States Library of Congress. The Federal Research Division provides directed research and analysis on domestic and international subjects to agencies of the Unite ...

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library is ...

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashikaga, Yoshimitsu 1358 births 1408 deaths 14th-century Buddhist nuns 15th-century Buddhist nuns Muromachi period Buddhist clergy Japanese Buddhist clergy 14th-century Japanese people 15th-century Japanese people 14th-century shōguns

Yoshimitsu is a name used by three different characters who appear in the ''Tekken'' and ''Soulcalibur'' series of fighting games by Namco. The first version of Yoshimitsu made his debut in the original ''Tekken (video game), Tekken'' in 1994. The second ...

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